Musings in the life of an internist, cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Tag, You're It

It's in your inbox: the results of a nasal swab for MRSA that you never ordered.

Tag, you're it.

Scores of monthly INR results for patients from the past 10 years of care. They're now cared for by "your" nurse practitioners. Has someone addressed all these?

Tag, you're it.

The ER with "your patient." The one you saw once in consultation back in 2004.

Tag, you're it.

A pneumovax given that you nevered ordered. A patient who's angry with a bill.

Tag, you're it.

An EKG result you've already read. And signed. But that's not enough. It's scanned in to the computer now so please click on it to "sign it," will you?

Tag, you're it.

Confirmation of an e-mail message that you sent to your patient. Click again, please, so the computer knows that you know that you sent it.

Tag, you're it.

You didn't call her with her results within 24-hours?

Tag, you're it.

It's astonishing: the speed, the volume, the ability to recall information today from days, weeks, even years before. Like a overspun conveyor belt with information packages coming at you from everywhere spinning faster, faster, faster still.

Someone has to be responsible for all the mandated care, the results, and the labs tests ordered behind physician's backs in our new era of electronic medicine.

So doctors: tag, you're it.

But here's a little secret from the IT department: just highlight them all, then right click. It's so much faster.

This all is so nuts. People don't even realize. This is like working at a call center for HP or Dell. Would you rather your MDs or RNs do this kind of stuff, or, would you rather they have time to actually see you one on one and figure out what is wrong with you and what to do about it? The time spent with patient is cut short in order to handle this crap.

About Me

Westby G. Fisher, MD, FACC is a board certified internist, cardiologist, and cardiac electrophysiologist (doctor specializing in heart rhythm disorders) practicing at NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, IL, USA and is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine. He entered the blog-o-sphere in November, 2005.
DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this blog are strictly the those of the author(s) and should not be construed as the opinion(s) or policy(ies) of NorthShore University HealthSystem, nor recommendations for your care or anyone else's. Please seek professional guidance instead.